Sunbeam Clergy
The Sunbeam Clergy of Laridiel is the nation’s most visible religious group. Offering praise and glory to Pelor, the human god of Sunlight, the Clergy has a presence in nearly every city, town, and village, offering spiritual guidance and direction to the common folk. Activities Followers of the New God Pelor, the Clergy does its best to attend to the spiritual needs of the people. They bless crops, heal the sick, and sermonize on the virtues of light, truth, and hope. In small thorps or hamlets, there may be a single sermoner or chaplain who holds church in whatever building they can find; in towns and cities, there may be one or several temples dedicated to the Sun God, each helmed by a priest with a faithful group of acolytes. More often than not, the church keeps itself separated from politics, as the accumulation of power is said to “darken the heart” and thus be antithetical to the mission of the followers of Pelor. Membership A member of the Sunbeam Clergy may have one of many vocations throughout their service to the church. Initially, a member of the clergy is vested as an acolyte, who performs many of the more menial, repetitive, or daily tasks for a single church to which they belong. As they accumulate years of service and grow in their faith, acolytes may become priests, taking on leadership roles within their particular church. Bishops are those priests who become the head of the provincial dioceses. At the very top of the hierarchy sits the high priest, who acts as the highest authority of the church. Some acolytes find their calling to Pelor pushes them away from mortal institutions, seeking out a more direct connection to their patron. These acolytes become vested as clerics, often answering to bishops rather than priests, though some even claim to follow the world of Pelor exclusively. Paladins of the Sun God are members of the Lightbringers, born of years of training and dedication to Pelor. They are the shining light that frightens away the darkness, an elite knighthood within the Sunbeam Clergy. Paladins go where the bishops and high priest of the Clergy will them, though independent paladins of Pelor arise as well, wandering the land and fighting against darkness wherever it springs up. Chancellor The Chancellor of Laridiel is the head of state of the nation, on a similar level as the high priest, though they do not exert authority over the Sunbeam Clergy. Rather, they provide a balance between the politics of Laridiel, and the faith of the Clergy, and act as the figurehead for the nation as a whole. Chosen from the ranks of the bishops, the chancellor serves in their position until their resignation, removal, or death. History The Sunbeam Clergy was one of the first groups to coalesce from the ashes of the Plague of Miserion in the south, capitalizing on the rejection of the Old Gods by the populace to offer the guiding light of Pelor in their stead. Originating from the then-nation of Anféald, the clergy rapidly expanded to the surrounding lands, helping unite the disparate towns and enclaves that had formed to survive the collapse of the kingdom- all without bloodshed or violence. When it came time to proclaim the formation of Laridiel, the high priests and bishops of the Clergy unanimously decided against assuming rulership, and instead promoted the formation of a council that would take into account the needs of all provinces.